One of the greatest things about traveling and staying at Inns and B&Bs are the personal touches that you simply do not get at a hotel or large resort. A warm and personal welcome from the innkeeper upon your arrival; being shown to your room and getting help with your luggage; offerings of cozy sitting areas, picturesque gardens and rambling front porches - - all for your relaxation during your stay.

Memorial Day weekend is coming up quickly.  Even with the war in Iraq, I think a lot of us have a tendency to forget that this is not a "BBQ holiday".  It is a holiday reserved for honoring those who have, and are now serving our great country.  It is important that we not just recognize these great men and women who stand up for our freedom, but let them know that we support them always.

OK, it's pretty well known that gas prices are cramping everyone's style.  It means that everything is costing more: groceries, utilities, mass transit, postage, you name it.  But it doesn't mean that your summer vacation has been put out of reach entirely.  Even though it costs significantly more to drive places, there are still ways to cut back on vacation costs.  Yes, gas is creeping towards $4 per gallon, but you can make that gas work harder for you. 

It's here. Mother's Day weekend.  If you forgot, stop panicking.  You have a chance at redemption.  Although small B&Bs may not offer them, larger inns and B&Bs with restaurants often offer wonderful Mother's Day Brunches that your mother, aunt, sister, grandmother or daughter will adore.  Of course, they're popular, so get on the horn now if you wish to impress her, but chances are good that if you are lucky enough to live near such an establishment, you'll be able to squeeze into some time slot.  CharmingCountryInns.com of course lists hundreds of inns across the US, so you could start there to see if any establishments near you offer brunch on Sunday. Have fun pampering her this Sunday!!

No matter where you are (OK, almost anywhere), signs of spring are abundant.  Some of you are excited to finally be seeing those fantastic little green buds on the trees - the promise of full, deep green leaves of shade.  Others of us have been enjoying varying degrees of spring weather - the cool days, the warm days, but thankfully not the hot, steamy days that lie ahead.  For me, this is the best time of year and it is already going by quickly!! 

Since this is a new blog, why not start off with seeing which of our member inns have blogs of their own?  I am curious to see what the innkeepers have to say.  Having been in the business of inn keeping myself, I enjoy hearing their stories.  So,